![]() Smee, faithful second-in-command to Captain Hook in the stage production of "Peter Pan" depicted in "Finding Neverland" (2004), and wowed television audiences as Robert Cecil, the legendary spy and subsequent secretary of state under Queen Elizabeth I (Helen Mirren) in "Elizabeth I" (2004). The increased exposure of "The Play What I Wrote" afforded Jones the opportunity to sink his teeth into more substantial roles in larger films. Jones' performance netted him an Olivier Award in 2002, and he followed the play to Broadway in 2003, where he found himself doing his best to ape such American celebrities as Kevin Kline, Holly Hunter, Glenn Close and Al Roker. Over 50 major stars hit the boards for the show, including Sting, Liam Neeson, Ewan MacGregor and Daniel Radcliffe. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the show's key attraction was the appearance of a special guest star that Jones' character had to imitate. Greater acclaim followed a year later with "The Play What I Wrote," a comedy by Hamish McColl and Sean Foley about the ups and downs of a comedy act. The year 2002 found Jones in the biggest film of his career to date, though in voice only he provided the voice of the woeful house elf Dobby in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002), which earned him the admiration of adolescent readers around the globe. Among them was "Missing Reel," a play based on his own experiences of being deleted from the film "Notting Hill" (1999). During this period, he also maintained a regular presence on the British stage, including the National Theatre, for which he penned several productions. Among his more notable projects were Mike Leigh's "Naked" (1993), and a scene-stealing bit as a page in the revamped fairy tale "Ever After" (1999). After studies at the Ecole Internationale du Theatre in Paris, he made his professional screen debut with a minor role in Sally Potter's "Orlando" (1992) and maintained an active presence in English television and film for the next decade. ![]() Jones took to acting at an early age, appearing in numerous productions at the prestigious Abingdon School for Boys, where his classmates included actor Tom Hollander and members of the indie-rock group, Radiohead. Born to an acting family in Oxford, England, Jones was the son of larger-than-life character actor, Freddie Jones, and Jennifer Heslewood, who was a member of a long-running family of stage actors brothers Rupert and Casey also followed in the family business by becoming a television director and actor, respectively. ![]()
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